Union connecter



A. FRIEDMAN 1,843,975

UNION CONNECTER Filed March 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 9, 1932.

Feb. 9, 1932. A. FRIEDMAN UNION CONNECTER Filed March 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 TIG. 2.

Patented F eb. 9, 1932 i UNITE" STATES PATENT oFFlfcEr ARTHUR FRIEDMAN, OFCLEVELAND, OI-IIO, ASSIGNOR'TO THE CLEVELAND HEATER COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A. CEtIPOIRfA'ILIONA 0F. OHIO i UNIoN coiwimciwnnr Application filed llllarchy 3, 1928. Serial No. 258,870.

This invention relates vto storage automatic water heaters of the Lside arm type and Vin particular the connecters between the storage tank and the water circulating elements.

Water heaters ofthe above type in general include ai storage tank and circulation elements which are placed in communication therewith. Operation of the heater is automatically controlled by a thermostat of the conventional type which is mounted in the tank in a tapping which isl provided for this purpose. With the abovearrangement three distinct threaded openings are provided in the storage tank, twofor the circulation elements of the heater and one for the thermostat.

placement of the circulation elements without disturbing the coupling memberswhich connect these elements to the tank. L

Another object of my invention 1s to pro- AVvide a coupling member which also 4provides a means orreception of a thermostat. y

In general my invention consistsin a pair of improved coupling members -for placing the Vcirculation coils of the water heater in connection with a storage tank. `Both of these coupling members provide union connections between the circulation coils and the couplingmember'by means of which the coilsmay be easily and quickly removed and replaced in the event of failure of the coils.V

One of the coupling members is also. adapted Jfor reception of a thermostat and eliminates the necessity of a separate opening and .tap-Y ping in the storagetank for this element.

" The advantagesk of this arrangement are iirst'of all a reduction' inthe cost of manu- Another advantage of this arrangement is that the circulation coils, which are the partsY of the heater which are most apt to fail, may

- be readily removed and'replaced by simply unscrewing the union connections by means lof which the7 are connected to thercoupling members. Thisl construction also results in adding considerably to the life of the coils by eliminating the brazed joint of the coils,

which has a tendency to weaken thev coils at this point and render them more susceptible to the corrosive action of the sulphuric acid which is apt to loe-formed from the products of combustion of the burning gas. V

This applicationis a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 257 ,916 iiled February 28, 1928, and differs therefrom in that the coil coupling disclosed herein is provided with a shieldedvpassageway for reception of the thermostat and furthermore in that the present coupling is adapted to be directly and removably connected to ends of the-tubing of the heater brazed coil coupling shown in my copending application above :referred to. v

Referring to the drawings; Fig. 1 is a side elevational view in section of a water heater taken on line 1-1 Fig. 2, showing one form of my improved coupling member. Fig. l2 is a section taken on line 2-2 Fig. 1, showing the upper coupling member of the heater coils. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 showing the lower coupling member. Y

The enlarged view of the water heater shown in Fig'. 1, shows in part va storage coil thereby eliminating the need of the tank 1, which is adapted for communication with, and'connection to the circulation coils 2. The tank l is providedk with heat insulating material 3 which is held in posir tion against the side of the tank by means of an outer casing 4l. The upper and lower terminating portions of the heater coils 2 are placed in communication with the tank 1 by means of coupling members 5 and 6, respec-v tively. The upper coupling member 5 is rec eived in the threaded opening in the side ofthe tankand a similar tapping 8 is provided for the reception of the lower coupling `member 6.

A heater jacket 9 of the conventional type provides a housing for the circulation coils 2. This jacket is provided with a top 10 having a vent 11 for the escape of the products et' combustion from the heater. Heat is applied to the circulating coils by the gas burner 12 that is mounted by means of a ground and tapered connection 13 on the base member 11i which is secured to the lower' extremity of the heater jacket 9 in any suitable manner such as by the bolts 15. The burner 12 is a blue flame gas burner, having a gas and air mixing tube not shown, which is in communication with the central passage 16 of the heater base that communicates with the burner 12.

The lower coupling member 6 is a Y shaped connecter, formed from a single casting and is externally threaded at 17 for reception in the tank tapping 8. The branch elements of the member 6 are externally threaded at 18 and 19 for reception of the union nuts 2O and 21,respectively. Tapered ends 22 and 23 are formed on the coupling member 6 ade jacent the threaded portions 18 and 19 respectively.

rlhe ends of the coils 2 are flanged as at 2d and 25 and are adapted to be detachably secured to the coupling member 6 by means of the union nuts 20 and 21 respectively.

The upper coupling member 5 is provided with an externally threaded portion 26, adapted for threaded engagement with the tank tapping 7. rlhe member 5 has a pair ot branch ports provided with tapered ends 27 and 28 which are adapted to provide a fluid-tight connection with the complementary flanged ends 29 and 30 ot the heater coils 2. This connection is made by a pair of union nuts 31 and 32 which are threadably received by the externally threaded branches 3 and 34 of the coupling member 5. By this arrangement a union connection is provided between the coupling member' and the coils 2 which may be removed from this coupling 'by unscrewing the nuts 31 and 32.

The supply of gas to the burner 12 is controlled by means of a thermostat 35 which is interna ly threaded at 36 for connection to a source of gas supply. The externally threaded portion of the thermostat 35 is received in the screw threaded opening 37 of the coupling member 5. The expansion element 38 of the thermostat is protected and shielded from the incoming hot water passing through the coupling, by means of an angularly disposed tubular sheath 39 integrally formed in the coupling member 5. The thermostat receiving passageway defined by the sheath 39 terminates at its outer end in the threaded opening 37 and at its inner end it is in communication with the interior of the tank. By arranging the sheath 39 on an angle with respect to the main passageway of the coupling, the expansion element l38 of the thermostat may be located to one side of the stream of hot water flowing into the tank.

The purpose and function of the sheath 39 is to shield the thermostat from direct contact with the incoming hot water from the heater coils and to make it responsive to the water within the tank rather than the water which is just discharged from the heater and which is apt to be at a much higher temperature than the average temperature of the water in the tank at the level of the coupling 5. The coupling members 5 and 6 are also provided with hexagonal wrench engaging faces 41 and 4t2 which provide a means for their application to the storage tank 1.

ln assembling my improved heater the coupling members 5 and 6 are first secured in the tappings 7 and 8 respectively. The heater coils 2 are then connected to the coupling member 5 and 6 and the heater jacket, top and base are added to complete the assembly of this unit. lt is apparent from the preceding that the coils 2 may be readily removed and replaced with a minimum of work and that it is not necessary to scrap the coil couplings each time a coil is replaced as is the case where these elements are brazed to the coils.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular forms of apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth, are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various modihcations of said apparatus and procedure can be made withoutdeparting from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

ll claim: y

1. ln a water heater, the combination of a storage tank having a pair of openings formed therein, one of which is located in the side of the tank, and means for establishing communication between said openings including a heating coil and an integrally formed fitting, said fitting being detachably received in the hot water inlet opening of said tank and detachably connected to said coil whereby said coil is supported closely adjacent to the side of the tank and placed in direct communication therewith by means of a relatively large and short horizontally.

disposed passageway in said fitting, said fitting being further provided with a second passageway formed in said first named passageway, and a thermostat extending through said second passageway into said tank, whereby said thermostat is shielded from the hot watr passing through said .fitting into said tan 2. In a water heater, the combination of a storage tank having a pair of openings formed therein, one of which is located in the side of the tank, and means for establishing communication between said openings including a heating coil and an integrally formed fitting, said fitting being detachably secured in the hot water inlet opening of said tank and detachably connected to said coil whereby said coil is supported closely ad]acent to the side of the tank and placed in direct communication therewith by means of a relatively large and short horizontally disposed passageway formed in said fitting, said itting being further provided with a second horizontally disposed passageway formed in said first named passageway and traversing the same on an angle, and a thermostat eX- tending through said second passageway angularly into said tank whereby said thermostat is shielded from incoming hot water v within said fitting and is out of the path of hot water entering said tank.

3. 'In a water heater, the combination of a storage tank having a pair of openings formed therein one of which is located in the side of the tank, and means for establishing communication between said openings including a heating coil and an, integrally formed fitting connected to thehot water inlet of said tank, said itting having a pair of passageways communicating with the interior of the tank one of which is provided to establish communication between said coil and tank, and a thermostat received in the other of said passageways and projecting into said tank to one side of said. rst named passageway whereby said thermostat is supported in the tank to one side of the water stream induced by said coil and is shielded from incoming hot water in said tting.

4. In a water heater, the combination of a storage tank having a pair of openings formed therein one of which is located in the side of the tank, and means for establishing communication between said openings including a heating coil and an integrally formed tting connected to the hot-water inlet opening of said tank, said fitting hav-y ing a pair of ports in communication with the interior of the tank lwhen said fitting is secured in place in said tank, one of said ports communicating with said heater coil by way of a relatively large and short passage- Y way and the other of said ports communicating with a second passageway traversing said f iirst named passageway on an angle and ter-V minating at the side of said fitting opposite to said pair of ports, and a thermostat in said second passageway, whereby said thermostat is shielded from incoming hot water in said fitting and is out of the stream of incoming hot water in said tank.

In testimony whereof I atlx my signature.

ARTHUR FRIEDMAN. 

